The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-07-26
Ghe atltelliQettr(crr;
wuEELlNa. ". Va. JULY 20, 1887.
Tho l,alt,mors & ohio mud Its Deal.

Inc eIuef Ghrrett WAS uot " Rteat Iall-
road man in his day by great deal, 90
this paper has often pointed out. He WAS
altogether too close and too shor!-aighted
for the position he held. He lot slip a
number Of precious opportunities that
could have been occurred for very moder-
alto outlays. For instance, he could have
eaally owned the single line between Bal.
tlmore and Philadelphia, and he could
either have owned or secured pepe!ual
rights Of way and terminal facilities over
the New Jeraey road between Philadol.
phia and New York. lie never seemed to
comprehend that rivalry with the Penn.
sylvania road would sooner or later result
in exclusive privileges to the one line or
the other between these points. His con.
servativs training as a banker untitled
him to 20 into far reaching investment
for the future. ' III
The story IS to how he WAC left out in
the cold at New York is loo old to need
repetition. Likewise the atory by which
his successor was outwitted In the Phils.
delphis. Wilmington and Baltimore pur.
chaae. The Pennsylvania road completely
outgeneraled both father and con.
At one ti,no the Baltimore and Ohio
could have controlled the Fort Wayne
road (pittaburgh to Chicsgo), but let the
opportunity clip. Then it built a line Of
its own to Chicago, but having built to
the gates OF Chicago was content to get q
lease into the city over the Illinois Con.
trail, and new it is being elected at the end
Of the lesse, and II dispoasessed will be
again at the gates Of the city with no Ter,
minal for business.
For years the road controlled the Ohio
4 Mississippi Cincinnati to St. Louis)
and as the stock was practically worth.
less, 1t could have owned controlling in
terest forever. But year or go ago the
Erie stepped in and got control, and the
Baltimore & Ohio was again outgeneraled.
Recently, to get to st. Louis, it made a
dicker with Cincinnati aud In.
disnapolis road (tne Cincinnati, Ham-
ilton & Dsyton) and sill lator with
m Indianapolis and st. Louis road
which latter iu being contested by the
Pennsylvania.
As the case stands to-day tho Baltimore
X Ohio is to certain extent moribund
trunk line, being headless in Nav York
and iootiess in Chicago and st. Louis
And oil because Of the shortaightedness
OF its management.
It would seem US If MIR. Robert Garret!
had become respondent over the situation
and anxious to cell ont and 10. somebody
else gee what he could do in the way OF
supplying head and couple OF feet to
tho line. He has had dicker with a
small fry firm in New York, which alter
being on hand for nearly half year in.
gloriously collapsed and LETT the road in
the game disabled condition IS before.
This, too. after having built an expansive
line to Philadelphia he bought termi.
nal on Staten Island, in New York bay,
several miles below the city, which, as far
as is known to-day, there is little likeli.
hood Of hia reaching with a road.
This is humilla.ing position for road
as old and important as the B. L 0. It
shows record Of incapacity that would
bs hard to duplicate. The people OF
Baltimore evidently feel ss il a great be.
li!tlement had come to their great road
as if their rights and interests and thei,
prestige had been greatly cheapened in
tho estimation Of the country. AS 1t
were, they have been offered at auction
without finding buyer. It looks as il
Baltimore was not enough Of a place,
present or prospective. to find an investor
in it's future. We presume they are glad
to have an end Of tho inglorious Gasco.
and would not object to giving Mr.. Gar
rett q perpetual leave Of absence in Eu.
rope. f,5r
TIL, Nhtn Unnuhiicnu C,,,.ut ~ 81 ,